AkzoNobel partners with China Pavilion at Venice biennale

May 27, 2016

AkzoNobel is emphasizing its commitment to improving and energizing urban communities around the world by partnering with the China Pavilion at this year's International Architecture Biennale in Venice, Italy.

Being unveiled on Saturday, curator Liang Jingyu has adopted the theme of Daily Design, Daily Tao for the country's 2016 showcase in order to highlight the importance of everyday essentials in shaping sustainable, modern urbanization in China.

The partnership represents a return to Venice for AkzoNobel and its global Human Cities initiative, which was launched by CEO Ton Büchner at the 2014 biennale.

"Our Human Cities initiative reflects everything we do for and with society," said Dr. Lin Liangqi, President of AkzoNobel China and Managing Director of the company’s Decorative Paints business in China and North Asia. "We're therefore very proud to have partnered with the China Pavilion, enabling us to demonstrate our commitment to making cities more liveable and inspiring by providing the essentials for everyday life."

Added China Pavilion curator, Liang Jingyu: "We are pleased that this year's exhibition is in sync with AkzoNobel's Human Cities initiative. People's everyday lives are essential to creating an inspirational living space and we have a lot of respect for companies such as AkzoNobel who commit to this purpose."

The China Pavilion is the second largest at this year's biennale and the only country pavilion with an outdoor exhibition. It features 14 inspiring creations by nine leading architects and studios that showcase why architectural design should originate from people’s daily lives. The link to Human Cities is clear, but the AkzoNobel initiative also has a wider significance.

"Human Cities has particular relevance in China, which is experiencing levels of urbanization that are unprecedented elsewhere," continued Dr. Lin. "There's a clear need for key influencers and decision-makers such as architects, urban planners and policy makers to work in a disciplined and coordinated way in order to help cities meet the challenges they face and build a more sustainable future together."

The 2016 International Architectural Biennale has been curated by Alejandro Aravena, winner of the 2016 Pritzker Prize. The event runs from May 28 to November 27.